Innholdsfortegnelse for 5-Nov-2016 i Amateur Photographer

As the author Bill Bryson has observed, no country in the world manages to cram as much beautiful countryside and so many historic places of interest into so small a piece of real estate as the UK. Which probably explains the perennial popularity of landscape photography among AP readers. It’s wonderful being out in the fresh air with your gear in a glorious location. But how do you shoot landscapes that stand out from the crowd? This issue is packed with inspiration and ideas, including tips from top pros, insights from award-winners and editing secrets. On a sadder note, it is with a heavy heart that I report the sudden and unexpected passing of AP’s news editor, Chris Cheesman. Chris had been with AP for 17 years, during which time…

SHUTTERSTOCK has released the Editor, a new app designed to streamline the process of editing Shutterstock's library of millions of licensed photographs and illustrations that can then be used in web design. Features that will now be available from within the application itself include professionally designed templates and the ability to upload personalised visual content, such as a logo or business image. You can also save designs for editing later, and publish finished designs to social networks directly. With its focus on easing workflow for non-web designers, the Editor sounds useful for photographers looking to expand their own online presence in style. For more details, visit www.shutterstock.com/ editor.…

Can it really be that difficult to make126 film? Amid all the enthusiasm for keeping analogue photography alive, it seems to be unfairly forgotten. It's no problem using your old film Nikon or Rolleiflex, as there's still a reasonable selection of120 roll and 35mm film available. Sheet film keeps Victorian plate cameras going and the Impossible Project's work with old Polaroids is world famous. There are even a few variants of 127 negative film still on sale, and a variety of 110 film for your Pentax 110 SLR or Kodak Pocket Instamatic. No such luck if you fancy taking Granny's old full-size Instamatic for a spin, though, as 126 film stopped production in 2007. No hassle at all Launched in 1963,126 film was hugely popular. It was rollfilm but in…

Standard lens While many landscape photographers favour wideangle lenses, the perspective of a standard lens should not be ignored, especially when you intend to stitch images to create panoramic pictures. ND grads Balancing contrast in a landscape can be problematic, but using an ND grad allows you to record scenes that exceed the dynamic range of your camera. Warm clothing Check the weather forecast and make sure you are appropriately dressed for the conditions. The Páramo Halcon jacket offers easy temperature control via a series of vents. Weather-resistant DSLR When you’re out in all weathers, you need a camera that’s able to withstand the odd shower and survive a few scrapes. The Nikon D810 boasts a 36.3MP sensor housed in a weather-resistant body that can be operated in temperatures as…

Andy Westlake's quality article on photo books (AP 13 August) makes interesting reading on several fronts, although the many benefits of a selected portfolio of pictures presented well in this format is just the start. Having been an ardent fan of photo books now for several years, with 40 books produced to date, it becomes easier to find new opportunities to make you think creatively before shooting. Picking a theme and working to it, using a special occasion to create something memorably different, and reaching loved ones with an in-touch gift in another part of the world, are truly plus points that create personal challenges photographically. Questions like, ‘Will this shot make a cover?' and, ‘Can a triptych tell a better story?' help to create something that turns ordinary pictures…

1 Process the file Process and crop your raw file using Photoshop. I chose to convert an image of the Waimea Canyon in Kauai, Hawaii. For me, this shot is a great option for a black & white conversion due to the range of tones, clouds and dramatic mountain ranges. 2 Darken the shadows Open Silver Efex Pro 2 in Photoshop. The neutral preset should already be selected. Now you can make Global Adjustments. To start with, I darkened the shadows on the mountains to add more depth, and increased the overall contrast slightly. I then increased Amplify Blacks to darken the blacks. 3 Add some structure Next I added some structure to the image in a bid to bring out some additional detail. I used the Zone System feature…

Balancing the brightness of sky and sea CHRISTIAN Schoter took this photograph in Brixham, Devon. The low light meant he had to use a tripod for the 25-second exposure at f/22 and ISO 100. Taking into account the wideangle lens, there was no need to use f/22. An aperture of f/8 would have given adequate depth of field and better optical sharpness. A shorter exposure and a higher ISO would also have ensured less movement of the boats. That said, this is a terrific shot that simply needed a couple of Graduated Filter adjustments to balance the brightness between the sky and the sea. 1 Straighten the horizon The horizon in this photograph was at a slight angle, so I selected the Straighten tool and dragged across the horizon line…

Manual shutter-speed dial You can set the shutter speed with the camera away from your eye. This is often useful when you want to work quickly and unobtrusively, especially in street photography, or when the camera is on a copy stand. ISO dial There's no need to go wading through menus. I normally leave it on ISO 400, because that's the most familiar speed for me, but I use higher speeds, up to 12,800, in poor light. Manual focus As noted already, I find manual focus quicker and more reliable than automation or using AE/AF lock. Manual aperture ring As with the shutter-speed dial, it is often useful to be able to set the aperture without having your eye to the viewfinder. Colour-coded depth of field scale for f/11, f/22,…

Gitzo GT3541LS tripod 1 Although I often shoot handheld, I rarely go out without my tripod. The Gitzo GT3541LS is sturdy and extends to a decent height. I find the P0 ballhead to be a good compromise: it’s quick to use and offers reasonably refined adjustments. Sony Alpha 7R II 2 The Sony Alpha 7R II is a perfect fit for my hands and I find the ergonomics to be excellent. Most of all, I love the files it produces – great tones and colour, very impressive dynamic range and superb detail. Zeiss Loxia lenses 3 These 21mm f/2.8 and 35mm f/2 lenses are a joy to use. Their diminutive size and superb optics make them a perfect match for the Alpha 7R II. I’m also enjoying…

Lost Soul by Leanne Rodgers Nikon Coolpix S9900, 25-750mm, f/3.7, ISO 200 This image that was uploaded to Flickr by Leanne Rodgers dates back to 2005 and was recently salvaged from an old computer. It's a strange image with a beautiful backstory. ‘I took this image at a waterfall in Koh Lak in Thailand not long after the tsunami that killed around 4,000 people,' says Leanne. ‘I was on a working holiday helping with the clean-up. I had a bit of downtime and decided to explore the area a little more. I walked to the waterfall and it was there that I saw this boy beneath the cascading water. I took the photo with an old point-and-shoot camera. I managed to speak to the boy later and he told me…

The 2016 World Press Photo Exhibition returns to Southbank Centre's Royal Festival Hall in London until 21 November. The free exhibition displays award-winning photography from the 59th World Press Photo contest, an annual international competition first held in 1955. One of the images you'll see in all its glory is this one by Sergio Tapiro. Here we see Colima Volcano in Mexico erupting with rock showers, lightning and lava flows. The volcano, which is one of the most active in Mexico, showed an increase in activity from July 2015 onwards. Lightning in volcano eruptions is generated when rock fragments, ash and ice particles in the volcanic plume collide, producing static charges – just as ice particles do in clouds. Visit www.southbankcentre.co.uk. Words & numbers “Everyone will take one great picture.…

NIKON has announced two new professional-grade lenses. The AF-S Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 FL ED VR telephoto zoom lens features a number of enhancements that Nikon says will improve its performance in the field. Edge-to-edge performance has been enhanced with new optical construction and there's an improved AF tracking and exposure control system in place. There are some changes to the exterior, too, with the zoom and focus ring positions being reversed for more balanced handling, and new buttons on the barrel designed to make operation smoother. It should also prove to be a bit lighter than its previous incarnation with a new magnesium-alloy build. The AF-S Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 FL ED VR is available from 10 November, priced £2,649.99 Also unveiled is the manual focus PC Nikkor 19mm f/4E ED…

‘Within the same frame, staged events sit beside candid moments’ In1975, Alex Webb made two critically important trips that changed his life as a photographer, and, as he says, perhaps as a human being as well. Webb went to the US-Mexico border and to Haiti. Those two trips opened up the possibility of other worlds to the young photographer. Geographically and socially, these countries were worlds apart from New England, in the north-east of the USA, where Webb was raised. He has now wandered the world for more than 30 years, adopting a style of photography and awareness that is uniquely his own. In fact, it's only recently that he, by own admission, has managed to discover new and interesting photographs in his home country of the USA. Before all…

Twitter David Townsend @DavidRTownsend Autumn is the favourite season for a lot of photographers. That’s often down to the light and, as we see here, the vibrant colours that the season puts on display. Fallen leaves are a familiar everyday scene and, as demonstrated, have plenty to offer a photographer. Join the conversation @AP_Magazine Facebook Guy Edwardes Photography Here we have a fine black & white landscape photo of pastoral lands against a sweeping backdrop of Polish wilderness. The stacked visual layers from foreground to background draw you in and offer the image a sublime depth. You can almost feel the wind in your hair. Like us at www.facebook.com/amateurphotographermagazine Instagram Rui Palha @rui_palha Rui Palha has been shooting photographs since he was 14 years old. In this beautiful and…

Finding Gold Mark Gilligan Winner – The GREAT Britain #OMGB ‘Home of Amazing Moments’ Canon EOS 5D Mark III, 17-40mm, 1/125sec at f/9, ISO 400 In this really quite incredible image taken in Wast Water, Cumbria, we see how sometimes the elements of a landscape can combine to produce gold. Mark's friend (wearing the red jacket) gives the overall scene real perspective and acts as a nice visual anchor to hold the forms of the composition in place. The rainbow is a great chance event. Starling Vortex Matthew Cattell Overall LPOTY Winner Nikon D810, 70-200mm, 1/10sec at f/11, ISO 200 Rather than freeze the action, Matthew has used a longer exposure to exaggerate the vortex of the starling murmuration. This works well with the rolling sea and against the static…

Jeremy Walker Jeremy is an award-winning photographer and Nikon Ambassador. He has years of experience in landscape and location photography. www.jeremywalker.co.uk. ALTHOUGH reasonably well known before, it was the movie Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, starring Kevin Costner, that put Aysgarth Falls in the tourist limelight. Fortunately, it is still possible to shoot the falls with few people around, but only if you choose your moment or time of year carefully. The series of falls lies just outside the small village of Aysgarth, within Wensleydale, itself in the Yorkshire Dales National Park. They are in three groups called High Force, Middle Force and Lower Force. All three are worth a visit since they have very different characteristics. For me, Lower Force is the most photogenic of the three. Being slightly…

At a glance • 30.9x23.8x46.9cm (external dimensions) • 25.9x18x39.8cm (internal dimensions) • Weight: 1.7kg Back padding The padding on the rear of the bag is firm and comfortable on the shoulders. Side handle On the front is a vertical orientation handle, which is useful for getting it in and out of luggage racks. Zips Each zip pull has a cord for easy use when wearing gloves. Case Logic Kontrast Pro DSLR backpack • Around £65 • www.caselogic.com John Huxley reviews a free-standing backpack for those starting out YOU CAN spend a great deal of money on a good photo backpack, but Case Logic's Kontrast Pro DSLR is priced at an affordable £65. However, given that you'll spend hours wearing a backpack, does this make it good value, too? One key…

‘Conventionally we state aperture as the relative aperture, the f-number’ This article is the third of a short series of three developing some of the basics of photographic theory considering only that which occurs in front of the aperture. By proceeding in this way, we can abstract away the detail behind the aperture, on the basis that if the camera is working correctly, it must produce an image based entirely on the light coming from the subject to the aperture or entrance pupil. Therefore, what happens in front of the lens aperture determines the essential image, with everything else being implementation detail. In this article, we consider how much light goes into this image. Light entering the lens from somewhere in the field of view must end up forming the…

Chris Cheesman It is with great sadness that we report the sudden and unexpected passing of our news editor, Chris Cheesman. Chris had been with AP for 17 years, during which time he forged an international reputation as the best news journalist in the photographic industry. His tenacity and determination brought him more scoops and stories than anyone else and he was widely admired for his honesty and integrity. He will be deeply missed by everyone at AP. New design for Leica Q Leica has revealed the Leica Q Titanium Gray, bringing an alternative design to its successful compact camera. The new Q model will feature the same performance and technical specifications of the standard version, and is scheduled to be available from mid-November 2016, priced £3,800. Calling all canine…

LEICA has expanded the portfolio of its M rangefinder system lenses with a modern recreation of a classic Leica lens: the Leica Summaron-M 28mm f/5.6. First introduced as a screw-mount lens in the1950s, the new M-mount Summaron-M 28mm f/5.6 remains one of the most compact wideangle lenses within the Leica M series. According to Leica, the new lens features the same six-element optical design and mechanical construction as its predecessor, last manufactured in Wetzlar in 1963. Leica states that the combination of ‘extreme depth of field, natural contrast rendition, resolution of detail and visible vignetting create a unique signature… reminiscent of the days of analogue photography'. The lens is available for pre-order, priced £1,900. For the latest news visit www.amateurphotographer.co.uk…

David Noton David is a leading landscape and travel photographer who runs his own successful freelance company from Sherborne in Dorset. His clients include the National Trust, Royal Mail and Canon. He is the author of various books, includingWaiting for the LightandThe Vision. To find out more, visit www.davidnoton.com . 1 Plan your shoot Successful pictures are usually the product of painstaking planning and preparation. Finding a good location is the first priority. There's no substitute for putting your boots on and heading out into the landscape. Understanding light and how it changes over a 24-hour period is crucial for landscape photographers. The more time you spend outdoors, the greater your chances of predicting the light. 2 Previsualise your picture If you think about the kind of light and conditions…

You answered… A Yes, I love it 40% B No, I can’t afford good enough kit 13% C No, I’m not comfortable taking my camera out in the dark 3% D No, there’s too much light pollution where I love 30% E No, space is the final frontier 14% What you said ‘Where’s the option for “I tried it and failed miserably”?’ ‘Yes, it was fiendishly difficult but enjoyable. The trouble is that with photos of just the night sky (the moon, planets constellations) it is a technical exercise where you will be outclassed by those with superior equipment, while with landscapes incorporating the night sky the current trend is for the composite, arguably ‘faked’ shot.’ ‘It is not something I have ever chosen to pursue. I do not consider…

Rob Cherry Rob took up photography to express his love of the Dorset coastline he calls home. His passion for black & white imagery began with shots from the great masters, but it wasn’t until he discovered the imagery of recent artists, such as Michael Kenna and Michael Levin, that his interest developed into an obsession. To see more of Rob’s work, visit www.robcherryphotography.com. There are many ways to convert colour photographs into black & white, but for me Nik Silver Efex Pro 2 is the standout choice, producing beautifully rich and textured images. It’s also free of charge, which is great. While programs such as Photoshop and Lightroom are more than capable of producing great-looking images, Silver Efex Pro 2 offers incredible flexibility, and is wonderfully intuitive to use,…

Nathan Barry, Oxfordshire Nathan is a big fan of seeking out simple, bold compositions, and believes that less is more. ‘I try to capture scenes that look and feel a bit unreal,' he says, ‘a composition and lighting combination that takes you away from the everyday and towards something more reflective and dreamy.' Recently, Nathan has been exploring his local area and discovering modest but interesting landscapes. He hopes to create a project showing these locations in ever season. To see more, visit www.theimageproject.xyz. 1 Plane Wreck Nathan found this downed plane near Skógafoss, Iceland. The decrepit plane sits well with its bleak surroundings. It’s an image full of atmosphere Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark II, 14-45mm, 1/125sec at f/5, ISO 200 2 Vík, Iceland This view of the black-sand beaches…

At a glance Nikon Df £1,900-£2,000 new body only • 16.2-million-pixel CMOS sensor • Single-lens reflex viewfinder, 100% coverage • 3.2in. 921,000-dot fixed viewing screen • No video mode, despite live-view option • 765g with battery and memory card • 143.5x110x66.5mm At a glance Micro-Nikkor 55mm f/2.8 £626price new (RRP) • 6 glasses in 5 groups with 1 floating element • Filter size: 52mm • Weight: 195g • 64.5x0.5mm at infinity • Focuses to half life size without accessories Imagine rediscovering photography. Imagine that everything (well, a lot of things, anyway) could be as fresh as when you first started to take photography seriously, even though you now know a lot more. To a considerable extent, that's what the improbable combination of a Nikon Df and a manual-focus 55mm f/2.8…

Which version of raw? Q I have a Pentax K-3 and am pretty new to using raw files. I am currently using Adobe Photoshop Elements 12, although I aim to upgrade to a more powerful package in the near future. However, as my camera can produce both Pentax raw files and DNG raw files, which should I be using? Kier Brannigan A This has been a long-running debate among Pentax users, as Pentax is fairly unusual in offering the choice of DNG or proprietary PEF raw files in its cameras. In theory, there should be no difference in the image-quality potential of either DNG or PEF files. Because raw files contain basically unprocessed image data, the software you use to work with them must do some initial processing to present…

‘He is living in the past as well as the present, inspired by the back streets, the suburban shopping areas, the dying centres of towns’ Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? Physically, no one. But if we take both thought and pains with our photography, our photographic stature can grow considerably. At first sight, this picture is little more than a very well-executed snapshot: a record of the sort of thing we have all noticed hundreds of times, and probably photographed dozens of times. What we haven’t done is taken thought about the deeper implications of our subject matter, and rarely do we take the pains necessary to get anything that is technically much better than a snapshot. With his ‘Ghost Town’, though,…